Chicago woman seriously injured in Indiana crash

A Chicago woman survived this crash on I-65 near Hobart, Ind. (Indiana State Police)

Staff report

A woman from Chicago had to be cut out of the wreckage of her SUV after she slammed into the rear of a semitrailer-tractor truck stopped on I-65 near Hobart today, Indiana authorities said.

About 3:24 p.m. a 1993 GMC Jimmy driven by Melvaughn Thompson, 51, of Chicago, struck the rear of a 2011 International semi pulling a box trailer driven by Bryan Koester, 51, of Dandridge, Tenn., which because of congestion was stopped in the middle right lane of I-65 near Ridge Road, according to a preliminary investigation by the Indiana State Police.

Thompson was trapped inside her vehicle and the Hobart Fire Department had to use the “jaws of life” to cut her from the Jimmy, police said. Thompson had been wearing her seat belt and was taken to North Lake Methodist Hospital in Gary with serious injuries to her head and body.

Koester was also wearing his seat belt and was not injured, and there was no loss of contents to the trailer, police said. The semi was owned by Knight Transportation out of Nashville, Tenn.

The investigation was ongoing, according to a release from the Indiana State Police Lowell District.